New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1887-06-19
NOTES FROM LONDON.
.sR. GLADSTONE AND sOCIETY-PAULlNE-
MRS. BERNARD-BEERE.

y
You observed lately with reference TO The socia
rrcesure against Mr.. Gladstone that he seemed u
be In pretty good company on certain oa'uiu
night at Mrs. Charles Wilson's in Grosvehor slu"ie
40 doubt he was, yet even al MIS- "''o"
prejudice made itself felt Tie house Is sooO
one II not one of the best or "smaIteso In Aonuon
,ha dinner had been made for Mr.. Gladstone. Inc
marty was to some extent political given, that Is
10 further the interests OF the Liberals or Glad
stonians most Of the guests must have gone Know
ing the character of the entertainment to whici
they had been invited. But what happened
There came period when Mr.. and Mrs Gladstone
were left almost TO themselves. Ihey SAT aion'
or nearly alone at one end Of q long large room
seixyeen them and the rest Of the crowded company
WAS broad vacant space which for long tlme
nobody crossed. The friend who gives me this
account adds that the intention of the majority 10
avoid the Gladstones was obvious. Now ana then
n wei known lady crossed the empty floor and sao
down by them in friendliness OF spirit which per-
haps made the general unfriendliness moro con-
spicuous than before.
These social expressions of political antagonism
are not precisely new in English public lie, but
they are unusual. If Mr.. Gladstone chose 70 TURN
them TO account he might add something to his
popularity with those masses, or, without appearing
to the masses, he might provoke conslderaoie
demonstration from the middle classes VINO nave
been the strength of Liberalism In its darkest days.
uhey know little about Society. They have CON-
triyed to exist, and they have grown rich and strong
without helm or favor from the fashionable world.
ubey would think its attitude toward MIR.
Gladstone impairment, and as those who adopt 1t
are members for provincial constituencies the
provinces might make their protest against this
form of prejudice an effective one. But Mr.. Glad
stone. [ am sure II he is aware OF the state oil
things would prefer that notice should be taken
pf the luminosity thus shown him. III IL is 10
continue, the tolerance which has been The BOAST
pf Englshmen will be at an end. Society VIII Dc
divided as it Is In France, into CAMPS and to pass
from one to tho other win be deemed an act oil
treacheiy. Wing houses and Tory houses there
have always been, but never in recent times has
there been an impossible gulf between them. III
the Tories like to dig one. they may perhaps have
a majority with them, but the social lie OF England
viii never again be the same.
1t is, at the moment, Mr. Gladstones Homo
Ru]e policy which has provoked the outburst OF
bitterness against him. Formerly it was his foreign
policy then his Irish Land bill The propertied
classes have felt themselves in danger more than
once, and they have resented it, or some OF them
have, by a form. of social ostracism. When the
Duke of Westminster sold lat profit his Millais
portrait of Gladstone, the act was applauded In
society as O deserved indignity to leader whom
the Duke and his friends looked upon as something
worse than lost leader. Social reaction was then
In 1ull swing don't like to mention names, but
everybody in London would know who is meant
when | say that one family of high rank and OF the
very highest social position and prestige was
driven out Of London last year at the height OF
the season by this persecution OF neglect and avoid
hnoe. Only yesterday Tho Times made it an
NJ lefn bof hn had
asked Mr. Justin Mccarthy to dinner-a charge not
made, it is true, because Mr.. Mccarthy Is Home
Ruler but because he is one Of the owners of
United Ireland" and because, according to "The
uimes, shares in that paper were paid for with
money collected for the express purpose Of blowing
up and burning English towns. This dinner oc-
CURED some weeks ago, and said at the time that
persons OF fashion were amazed that even Mr..
Gladstone should have Mr.. Mccarthy and Mr.. Sulli-
van at his table. 1t was then matter OF private
comment; it has now become topic OF public
rensure Nor does this angry temper Of the fash
fonable world soften as time goes on II hardens,
ind tho signs of it are more and more widely
visible as the controversy drags on.
A reprint OF Mr. Brownings Pauline" has been
issued Students know, and collectors know still
better perhaps that Pauline was Mr.. Brownings
first poem and is Of exceeding rarity. Only the
Few, and the rich few may hope to possess copy.
For tho poorer, and not for too many Of them this
Reprint tan edition of 400 may answer, or must
answer. single copy Of the original now costs
nearly as much the whole original edition cost
Mr. Browning to publish. 1t was then and long
after then his fashion to print his poems at his own
charge. The publishing fraternity did not care to
take the risk pauline" came out anonymously,
Browning then just twenty-onc years Of age or in
Ri ftcf Mr. II
polsy edits the reissue, describes the original
o large old-fashioned volume Of three sheets, its
pages measuring when uncut 3-4 by rs inches,
and he certies that in all respects save the paper,
which it has been found impossible to match ex-
actly the present reprint may be considered very
good and precise representation Of it. passage
from MIR. Wise's PREDATORY Note may be worth
quoting:
l"Of course the poem is to be found in Mr. Brown
lng's collected works vol /, PIP 1-41) where all
who will may read it but to myself and doubtless
TO many of my fellow members OF the Browning
Society, there is a sentiment attaching to the very
torn In which book of this description first aIr
pcared which is entirely wanting II the same work
Is perused in another dress and therefore, failing
the original, we are only too glad of the oppor-
tunity of providing ourselves with good likeness
of it, 1t is in this sentiment that the true book
lover finds his pleasure and not in the mere massng
together OF many volumes simply because they are
Curious OF scarce as persons who not col
lectors frequently suppose
The original title is Pauline; A Fragment OF
Confession"
Plus ne srlis &c que jai etc,
TT ne lie scauvois jamais etre marot.
London: Saunders g. Otley Conduit Street,
1883.
1t can hardly be needful to say that the present
reprint has Mr. Browning's sanction. Mr.. Wise is
too loyal disciple to do aught against the wish of
his teacher. But ii is interesting to know that the
volume is executed from Mr. Browning's own copy
of his own poem.